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Meghan Markle & Kate Middleton Bucked Royal Tradition at Archie’s Christening

This past weekend marked the official christening of the newest member of the royal family, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. But while the 2-month-old’s celebration mostly stuck to tradition, his mom and aunt surprisingly pushed the envelope. 

Yes, Meghan Markle is known for bucking royal tradition, but this time Kate Middleton joined her.

The 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex and 37-year-old Duchess of Cambridge attended the private christening ceremony at Windsor Castle’s chapel and subsequently posed for family portraits in surprising outfits. Markle, for one, opted for a white three-quarter sleeve Dior midi dress. Her sister-in-law wore an above-the-knee Stella McCartney frock with red Gianvito Rossi pumps, a crimson Juliette Botterill headband fascinator and pearl drop earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.

Sure, designer dresses seem to fit the bill for an occasion like a royal christening, but their rebellion from royal tradition is in the details. Why? Well, most royals select pieces from British designers for special celebrations like this, and the Duchess of Sussex chose instead to wear a French designer. Her outfit, it seems, hinged more on feminism. Maria Grazia Chiuri is the first female artistic director of Dior and has focused on incorporating feminist tones into the fashion house’s designs and ethos.

The Duchess of Cambridge, on the other hand, eschewed tradition by wearing a hemline that’s shorter than the standard royal knee-length cut. Some have speculated that both duchesses choosing to forgo royal tradition signals a shift toward making events such as this less formal and more relaxed.

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.



lex

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.